GILBERT, Ariz. – A 52-year-old woman will spend two decades in prison for killing her husband, who was discovered dead under a bed.
According to a June 16 news release from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, Ivanka Koleva pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder in connection with the death of her husband, Stefan Koleva, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Gilbert Police conducted a welfare check on the victim in November 2023 after one of his adult children arrived in town for Thanksgiving but had not seen him in several days.
Stefan Koleva was found dead beneath a bed and wrapped in plastic inside the home, according to officers. He had several gunshot wounds and a stab wound.
According to the attorney’s office, Stefan Koleva’s children reported that their mother “had been acting strangely over the last several days and asked them not to go inside the home.” The children also stated that the defendant had recently been in a car accident, “which they believed was a suicide attempt.”
Police obtained surveillance footage from a neighbor’s home, which showed Ivanka Koleva and her husband entering their home a few days earlier. According to prosecutors, Ivanka Koleva was “then seen coming and going, but the victim was not seen again.”
Investigators suspected Koleva had cleaned up the crime scene, hidden her husband’s belongings, and attempted to repair a bullet hole in the bedroom door.
Officers discovered the weapon allegedly used to kill the victim inside the car the defendant was driving when she was involved in the accident.
In a statement, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell stated, “This was not just a murder; it was a betrayal that shattered a family.” These children returned home to see their parents and discovered a crime scene. No one should ever have to face such horror, especially at the hands of their own mother.”
